Carnation-supporter.



PATENT-ED JUNE 16, 1908.

W. GRBE R GARNATION SUPPORTER.

APILIGATION FILED OOT. 25.1907.

Q/Vi in asses WILLIAM GREER, OF GREAT RIVER, NEW YORK.

CARNATION-SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1908.

Application filed October 25, 1907. Serial No. 399,213.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GREER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Great River, Long Island, in the county of Suflolkand State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inCarnation-Supporters, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to carnation supporters, and one of the principalobjects of the same is to provide a simple and eflicient device forclamping a cross wire to two tight wires for supporting carnations,roses, sweet peas, tomatoes and other flowers or vegetables requiring anadjustable support.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple clasp for holdingwires at their intersections and to provide means whereby the clasp maybe readily loosened or detached for moving one of the wires relativelyto the other and for reclamping the same whenever required.

These and other objects may be attained by means of the constructionshown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is aperspectiveview of a supporter made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the wire clasp. Fig. 3 is a side View of the clasp.

Referring to the drawing for a more specific description of myinvention,the numeral 1 designates the end board of the frame, and isdesigned to be held firmly in place on the ground.

Extending through the board 1 are the threaded eye-bolts 3, said boltshaving eyes 4 to which the wires 5 are connected. 'Winged nuts 6 arefitted to the threaded portions of the bolts 3 and are disposed upon oneside of the board 1. By rotating the winged nuts the wires 5 aretightened.

To adjustably clamp the wires 7 at their intersections with the wires 5I have provided a clasp consisting of a crown portion 8, diverging legs9 and a slot 10, through which the wires 7 extend and bear against thewires 5. The wires 7 may be at one or both ends twisted about the wires5 or supported in any other suitable manner. The clasp is slitted at 11to provide a resilient arm 12, one upon each side of the clasp, and saidarms 12 are bent outwardly to bear underneath the wire 7 and clamp itagainst the wire 5. By grasping the two legs 9 and pinching themtogether the arms 12 will be released from the wire 7 to permit saidwire to be moved along the tight wires 5.

The slots 10 are formed by primarily horizontally or' transverselyslitting the upper ends of the legs at their points of junction with thesegmental crown 8. These primarily formed transverse slits extendinwardly from the inner edges of the legs to a point in line with thelongitudinal centers of the legs and at their inner ends intersect theupper ends of the vertical slits 11, which slits extend downwardly acomparatively short distance in the central lines of the respectivelegs. Portions of metal are thus left free im mediately below the innerhalf of the crown portion 8 which are bent upwardly and outwardly onrelatively diverging lines to provide the resilient arms or jaws 12. Asa result of this construction, the inner or forward half of the crownprojects in the form of an upper jaw to engage the upper surface of thewire 7, while the rear portion of the crown rests upon the wire 5, andthe slots 10 are produced immediately below the crown jaw and betweenthe same and the resilient arms or gripping jaws 12 for the passage ofthe wire 7, which is engaged on op osite sides beyond the crossing pointand beyond the plane of bearing of the crown jaw by the upper edges ofthe resilient arms. Owing to the relatively short length or depth of theslits 11, and the consequent short depth or length of the arms or jaws12, and to the fact that such arms or jaws 12 are coextensive in widthwith the width between the forward edges of the arms and the slits 11,which form the inner walls of the slots 10, the arms or jaws 12 are madecomparatively stiif so that they cannot independently bend or flex,except to the slight necessary extent for an efiective gripping action,but can only be freed from engagement with the wire 7 by a relativeoutward and downward movement induced by contracting the legs throughthe ipflocess of pressing the outwardly flaring ger pieces 9 inwardly.By this means, an objectlon present to the weakening of the clamp byexcessively slotting or cutting away the legs is avoided, as well as theundue flexibility ermitted in the formation in this manner 0comparatively long and narrow arms or jaws extending a proximately thefull length of the legs. W ere the jaws are of sufficient length topermit their upper or free ends to have inde endent movement, they areliable to unduly ind upon the wire, and thus op ose a resistance totheir retraction throug an inward compression of the facture, a clamplower or free ends of the legs. Moreover, my construction permitsthelegs to come closer together, thus rendering the clamp more compact, andobviates all liability of the engaged wire becoming entangled with thefastener, as is liable to be the case when slots are formed between thebody of each leg and inner side of each resilient arm or jaw. Myconstruction therefore not .only secures compactness and increasedstrength, but also provides for the more effective release of the clampand obviates liability of the clamp hanging upon the wire in such amanner as to render it difficult to remove or ad ust 1t.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that my device can be readilyadjusted, can be readily put up and taken down and is very efficient anddurable for its purpose.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

As a new and im roved article of manuor connecting crossing wires formedof a single piece of spring metal, said clamp comprising a segmentalcrown portion having depending legs closely approximating throughouttheir length and outwardly flared at their lower ends to provide fingerpieces, each leg being vertically and transversely slitted at its up erend, the vertical slits extending downward in the central lines of thelegs from their points of intersection with the crown portion to adistance less than half the length of the legs below such points, andthe transverse slits extending inwardly from the forward edges of thelegs and'intersecting the upper ends of the vertical slits, said slitsforming free portions of metal flared outwardly to provide comparativelyshort resilient arms or jaws and slots or passages for the wire betweenthe upper edges of said jaws and the forward half of the crown portion,said jaws being coextensive in width with the distance between theforward edges of the legs and the vertical slits, whereby independentflexibility of said jaws to an objectionable degree is avoided so thatthe jaws are adapted to be moved out of engagement with the Wire solelyby a retractive movement thereof roduced by inward compression of thefegs through the finger pieces.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM GREEK. WVitnesses:

JosEPH A. MOORE, MARTHA E. JAGGER.

